Judgement
by supsup21
Summary: Freedom. Freedom is the one thing that Finnis ever wished for. For a perfect world and utopia. This is a story of a brave man who sacrificed himsef albeit his mistakes to save everyone.
1. Chapter 1: Dreams

**Judge****ment**

**Chapter 1: Dreams**

_Reaper wasn't much different than Judge in the ways of personality and treatment. He did things that others thought were wrong, but saw the good and righteousness in the end. But this story isn't about me. This is a story about a man named Finnis Grounder, but we'll just call him Judge from now on, being that he never knew his own name. This man in particular was a very brave soul, who made a couple of grave mistakes in his young life, but compensated in the end. He's saved my life a couple of times, and I couldn't repay him in time. Enjoy the story of a man who sacrificed himself to save you all._

Footsteps were heard among the sturdy sound house of young Finnis Grounder a midst his sleep. He dreamed of lush fields of corn and wheat, of wild animals running, and of open free astronomical space. Finnis was unlike the other children whom would dream of being a police officer, or a fire-man. Finnis lusted apon the idea of a perfect world, or that of a Utopia. The idea of freedom. The world in his time may have seemed like so, but in the end nothing is perfect.

"**Finnis!"**, His mother's voice was heard by the young man as he quickly swept the covers off of his body, after a groggy return to reality. With no reply he hurriedly rushed down the stairs to the main floor, turning to the table and encountering his mother at the bend. "Finnis, you're going to be late for your second day of school?", Finnis frowned, then turned around facing away, and swiping a piece of whole-grain bread off of the cherry wood table, swiftly grabbing his backpack with his right hand and slinging it over his shoulder. "Finnis, _try _to make friends this time". There was a steady silence keeping Finnis waiting for more of his mother's words at the open front door. "Please". His mother added to her plead. He nodded and quickly turned, slamming the front door. Mrs. Grounder watched from the frontal window, with a worried and hopeful look on her face. The yellow school bus closed its dual swing doors and began to speed off towards Hoffman F. Junior High.

The ride felt as if Finnis were approaching his kids-friendly concentration camp. The misery of the thought of school caused him to suddenly unlatch the window. He rested his head on his arm, feeling the warm breeze of Albertan summer air whip his short hair uncontrollably. The bus shook violently for a moment, as everyone jumped from their seats to look out the windows of the bus. Finnis sat quietly, holding his stoic position at the window, the bus, rocking him gently as he tuned out the noise of his idiotic class-mates and admired the beauty of the natural rural side of his province. The mass of students began shambling to the bus door as Finnis had arrived at his designated prison.

For Finnis' classmates, however, school was not a prison, but rather a social paradise, like in his dreams. Except for the fact that his dreams had nothing to do with socialism or society, but instead the pure essence of freedom. He slowly followed, letting his eyes stay glued to the site of his liking. The bus jolted slightly from the weight of the bus driver exiting the bus after Finnis. The wind blew with the same welcoming breeze and warmth. Finnis felt his ears tingle with sensation at the feel. He then continued to walk towards his school, while his other class-mates just shuffled off and spread to their groups. His hair was ruffled and disorganized thanks to his mother waking him at such an early hour, and his face was was visibly fatigued.

The steps of the school looked like a higher reach than normal on this particular day. Finnis laboriously stepped up the multiple cliffs leading to his school door, as he was shoved by an older student. Finnis cursed to himself as he began to pick up and pick up the contents that had recently been in his hands. A few students laughed at the scene and then continued on to their classes.

"Mr. Grounder, you're late". Said Henry Goodman, Finnis' social teacher, without a glance at the boy. "Where were you?", He added, still keeping eye contact on the class. Finnis had just walked into class after another long trek up the stairs to the second story of the Junior High School. Finnis sighed heavily and bowed his head as he was about to provide Mr. Goodman with a response when he was interrupted by all of the kids running, storming to the side of the room to look out the windows after hearing a chiming of "Hey look!", from one of the students.

Emerging from the bright blue sky was a black object flickering with red and yellow fire. The students began to stare in fear and a couple began to break down. The meteorite was not heading towards their school, but towards the wheat field several kilometres away. The impact wasn't heard or felt until numerous seconds after it had collided with the field. The school severely shook, as mugs hit the ground, desks tipped, and windows shattered.

Finnis woke.


	2. Chapter 2: Reality

**Chapter 2: Reality**

Finnis was torn out from his covers by his older brother, who grabbed him by his arms, pulling him up and out of bed. "Come on man, let's stop by the corner store. We need some water". Finnis smacked his tongue around the inside of his mouth, feeling the dry, dehydrated feeling of the need for water. "Thanks for the warning", muttered Finnis under his clenched teeth, feeling the harsh cold bite into his legs and arms, as well as hearing the wind creek through the open slats of wood in their shack. He knew it wasn't a good idea to move out from his parent's home at twenty, but the fight between them was inevitable.

"Cameron", Finnis called for his brother's attention, as Cameron headed for the door. His brother continued to grab objects off of the counter, piling them into his back-pack. "Cameron!", shouted Finnis, demanding his brother's attention. Cameron grunted and looked back at Finnis. "What, man?", his brother called down the hall.

"Remember that we only need water. Only take what we need, because we're down low on our last forty euros." Finnis looked at him sternly after replying. Cameron nodded and turned back to his work, as Finnis leaned up against the wall, and began to shuffle his feet. He began to mutter a few words under his long and distressful sigh. Cameron had finished packing up whatever gear they had needed for the small walk. "Don't be stressing your leg too much, Fin", Cameron shot at Finnis quickly. Finnis slowly nodded and took some of the pressure off of his leg, and moving to the side of the hall, allowing his elder sibling to walk past and out the already open door.

Finnis slowly followed him out of the shack, pacing his steps and counting them quietly behind his brother.

_**PUTSHOUUuuuu!**_

A gunshot was heard in close proximity, most likely in the next block beside them, followed by a short female's scream. Cameron hurried his pace, ignoring the shot and eyeballing the convenience store several meters up the side-walk. The bright exposing sun did nothing to protect him at the frost biting at his cheeks, from the surrounding snow on the ground. The white powder would crunch underneath their feet every step of the way since they exited their shack down the road. The cold began to irritate Finnis, as he reached up and rubbed his cheek, feeling his thick stubble. Cameron held the door open for Finnis.

The cheap metal bell on the door made a tinkling sound as they entered, and they both sat on the small individual diner table. Cameron seemed to have caught the shop owner's eye, since both of their faces lit up with bright smiles. "Cameron!" yelled the shopkeeper, extending the "O" in his name with a friendly voice. "Haveno, my good man", said Cameron calmly, towering over his short and stubby friend. Haveno was a very plump fellow, with light black stubble along his face, along with greasy mop-like hair. Haveno extended his arms for a hug toward Cameron, as Finnis' brother quickly accepted the hug. The shopkeeper's attention turned to Finnis, who was trying to avoid attention. By now, the majority of the population of the shop was looking in their direction wondering what all the hassle was about.

"Ah, Finnis. It's been a while, no?" Finnis nodded. Haveno had a thick Romanian accent, which could be incomprehensible had the boys not known him as long. It had been nearly four months since they had last talked to him. "What can I do for you boys today?", Haveno smacked his hands together and rubbed them. Cameron looked down to his jacket, unbuttoned a pouch, and quickly tossed a couple of euros through the air to Haveno. "Twenty-four pack of water, please", Haveno caught the euros in his hand, nodding, then waddling to the back of the room, turning into the storage area. Finnis crossed his arms and leaned up against the dual-windowed door. Haveno slowly returned from the back with the retrieved items in a large industrial bag. He walked over to Cameron, patting him on the shoulder and handing him the small pallet of water bottles. "Take care, you two.", Haveno frowned at the sight of both of them nodding and turning to exit the store.

The walk home felt longer than the previous walk to the convenience store. Cameron heaved the twenty-four pack of water, arching his back to support the platform. Finnis walked in front of Cameron, holding his arms out and cushioning the heavy pallet, beginning to walk backwards.

The door to their apartment burst open without a turn of the handle as the two boys clumsily emerged into the creaky, morbid room. Cameron and Finnis simultaneously dropped the pallet onto the floor. The floor croaked in age and stress according to the pallet's weight. The boys slowly walked into the living room, examined the torn brown leather couch for open nails or rat feces. The couch shook, as the both of them collapsed onto the couch, the wooden floor replying with a long moan.

Finnis quickly unsheathed his combat knife, which had the words "1990 Canadian Engineer Corps" engraved into the blade. He slashed at the thin plastic cover for the water bottles, easily cutting a clean opening for him and his brother to have access to the water. Cameron reached over Finnis' knee and grabbed a water bottle, and then resumed his position, turning his head to face Finnis. His younger brother noticed his glance at him and turned to face him, drinking a deep throat full of water. "What?", Finnis asked confusingly.

"Well, I was just wondering if retiring from the military was the greatest idea, man" Cameron said hesitantly. Finnis sighed, looking down at his combat knife, examining the engraving. "Well, I was forced into retirement. And I wasn't about to let you stay in the force without me covering your ass.", chimed Finnis as both the boys chuckled at his statement. Finnis' face turned serious. He then added with "Who knows?" pausing, and then resuming "Maybe it was for the best of both of us"


	3. Chapter 3: Coming Fire

**Chapter 3: Coming Fire**

The brick streets shone the sun's rays back into the sky, giving them a colorful glaze. Most of the buildings in the town were worn out and old, some even abandoned and falling apart. The snow covered patches of the ground, as summer was coming to a beginning. The grass was yellow, and the dirt was hard. inhabitants of the small town of Newport carried out their day to day tasks, as the occasional daily robbery or murder would commence in the nearby neighborhood.

The moon had a graceful glimmering look on its surface, looking as if it were reaching out and grabbing their eyes. Cameron finished his bottle of water as he crushed it with the palm of his hand, tossing it into another area of the room. Finnis kept his eyes fixed on the moon, studying its rugged features closely, letting his mind wander off in thought. He was quickly snapped out of attention when he saw the light from the moon shimmer and distort.

Finnis kept his eye focused a few more seconds to see if he could catch the odd event happening again. To Finnis' disappointment, there was no reply to his curiosity.

_I'm probably just- _thought Finnis until Cameron interrupted him. "Alright bro, I'm heading to bed. Don't stay up too late, yeah?" Finnis waved his last comment away with his hands and then nodded. Cameron's footsteps were heard thudding down the hall, slowly fading, as the door to his room slammed shut. Finnis turned his head back to the moon outside of the window, admiring the stars, and the moon.

The moon flickered again, and when Finnis' eyes toggled it, it began to shimmer regularly. "What the hell?", muttered Finnis slowly, standing up off of the couch and looking out into the sky from the open window. His face began to numb from the instant night cold blasting his face. He pulled his head back in after the shimmering stopped. Finnis shook his head and fell back down on the couch, sliding over and taking up two seats, placing his feet up on his previous arm rest. Finnis rested his head on the alternative arm rest, closing his eyes, and began trying to sleep. He couldn't keep his mind off of the peculiar flickering and shimmering of the moon he had just witnessed, but none the less, fell asleep that night.

The sun broke the border of the planet, bursting into humanity's view, showing off it's beautiful sun rise. Finnis was returning to his senses, and could hear Cameron in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the two of them. Finnis released a long groan and yawn as he stretched his arms and legs, straightening them and looking like a fallen stone statue on the couch. He then straightened his body, sitting upright and staring at Cameron's works of art. Cameron had always been gifted in the skill of cooking. He would always prepare meals for their parents.

Cameron turned while preparing the meal, facing Finnis and noticing him awake. "How late did you stay up?" looked at Finnis concerned. "I passed out about an hour after you." Finnis added to his statement, "I thought I saw something". "What?" Cameron asked him curiously. "I saw something, something was distorting the moon". Cameron waves away Finnis' words and replies, chuckling, "You were probably tired". Finnis sighed and nodded slowly, "You're most likely right".

The eggs sizzled, and cracked in the cast iron pan. Finnis could smell the beautiful aroma of the breakfast being prepared. Cameron would always add the most simple house-hold items to his artwork and make it the best of things. Finnis stood up from the couch after collaborating on all the events that had happened from yesterday to then. He wandered over to the kitchen counter, inspecting the meal being prepared. Finnis smiled at his brother and walked back over to the couch, waiting for the meal to be finished.

A couple of pots and pan were heard clattering in the kitchen, as Cameron brought two metal plates our from the kitchen, containing the contents of both of their breakfast. Finnis graciously took his plate, ignoring the fork that Cameron offered him, and began pick up and eat the eggs with his bare hands. Cameron shrugged, flinging the fork into the direction of the kitchen and miraculously landing a direct shot into the sink. Cameron began to start eating when Finnis started to talk with his mouth full, "Cameron". His big brother looked his way, waiting impatiently for a response so that he could eat. "You make the best eggs in the flippin world", continue Finnis. "I seriously hope you co-"

Finnis was cut off by a excruciatingly loud explosive noise from outside of their house. Pieces of wood and brick flew into their shack. Cameron attempted to get up and run as he was hit directly in the side of the head with a brick. "Cam!" screamed Finnis, trying to climb out of the wood rubble that had coated him like a blanket. A second explosion followed, as people could be heard screaming and seen running through the streets. Finnis recovered back onto his feet after the second explosion as a final burst of fire caused the roof to drop onto them. Finnis blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4: Beginning of the End

**Chapter 4: The Beginning of the End**

Dwindling sounds of gunfire could barely be heard by Finnis, who was buried in two feet of rubble under his home. Screams of pain were evident every few seconds, along with the occasional unknown screech. Finnis lay in his position for several minutes. Suddenly, something gripped his hand. It was Cameron, and he managed to pull his arm up to give Finnis the "Be quiet" action. His hands were numb and weak, he was having trouble breathing. The noises and gunfire outside on the street were getting more faint, and there were no more sounds of footsteps. Cameron let go of Finnis' hand and pulled himself out of the rubble, limping his way slowly to his room. Finnis tried to move his arms but was encumbered with the weight of boards of wood and brick piled on him. Cameron returned with a H&K US Pistol, tucking it into the back of his pants and returning to Finnis. Cameron began to dig him up, pulling off light bits of debris. Finnis was eventually able to shove off the rest, and move his arms and legs.

"Come on Fin", said Cameron with a raspy and sore voice. Finnis looked at his brother in fear, also noticing the large gash on Cameron's forehead. Finnis didn't know what to say or do, he just looked around in fear, paralyzed. Cameron grabbed his shoulder and jolted him gently. "Finnis!", raised his voice a little higher than before. Finnis snapped out of his paralyzing , and looked at Cameron directly in the eyes. "I have no idea what is going on", whispered Finnis to Cameron. Gunfire was heard, along with retorting screeches and horns. A few bolts of hot energy sizzled down the streets. Cameron and Finnis took cover behind a broken wall, as German military rushed down the streets, charging into oncoming energy fire. One of the soldiers sprinted to what used to be Cameron's apartment. He looked around, spotting the two boys, running towards them and grabbing Cameron's shoulder. "Evacuate the city!", screamed the German soldier in Cameron's face before he was hit by a low powered energy blast. Chunks of concrete and rebar flew around the area.

Another soldier sprinted and approached them, taking cover. Finnis took note of the man's insignia on his shoulder, indicating he was a Corporal in the army. The Corporal stared at the two and finally asked "Do you have any sort of fire-arm or weapons?", switching his head between the two. Cameron nodded, sliding the USP out from his hip holster and revealing it to the soldier. Finnis looked down, slowly pulling his combat knife from his sheath and revealing it to the man. The Corporal nodded at both their weapons, looking them over and responded, "Lassen sie uns kopf zu meinen operationsbasis". The soldier began to turn away as Cameron grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, do you speak english?" Cameron asked the soldier. He simply replied with "Yes, but let's get going. There's no time to waste." The three of them were sweating and scared at what was going on. They were panting and holding their weaponry as bullets whizzed by their faces down the street. The 'ting' of bullets were heard colliding with the offensive enemy armor. A couple more mechanical-like screams, horns, grunts, and screeches could be heard echoing throughout the streets. The scene was brutal, with many different kinds of projectiles speeding down the street.

The three of them began to rush from their concrete cover on the signal of the soldier. Cameron was breathing more heavily than normal, noted by Finnis. He collapsed, holding his chest. "Cam!" screamed Finnis, lowering his voice half way through his shout, hoping to god none of the opposers heard him. Finnis quickly darted out from their old cover, grasping Cameron's arm and dragging him with all his might into the new defensive area of concrete and rebar. The German corporal stood staring at the two, admiring Finnis' loyalty and protectiveness over his brother. "Let's move!" Hissed the Corporal, performing a symbol with his hand, as two other soldiers that Finnis nor Cameron had noticed before began to follow him. The two brothers took lead shortly, following after the three armed professionals. They wore complete sets of Kevlar, with glossy sleek combat helmets along with a face mask and orange visor. Their eyes were very limited from the view of others. The band of men quickly came to the last piece of rubble cover, waiting and checking for enemy oppositions up and down the streets, taking small peaks. Suddenly, the three soldiers rushed across the street, quickly followed by Finnis and Cameron into a run-down hotel building, labeled "Terminal Hotel". All of them took seats in separate corners of the room, as the two unidentified soldiers sat across the room their weapons, and the Corporal sitting with the two boys.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" asked Cameron, his body shaking. "Honestly, none of us have a single clue." chimed the German Corporal somewhat disturbed. "Are you the only one of these guys that speak e-" Cameron was interrupted by a simultaneous wave of seeming to say "Checked" from the two unidentified soldier's corner of the room. Hours passed, they stood completely still, their weapons ready. And then, disaster. The dry wall had smashed open right behind one of the two soldiers, as he was pulled into the new hole by a ginormous metal, clunky fist. The screams of the man could be made out as German curses. Blood sprayed from the hole in the wall.

_**Piiiiiiinngg!**_

The sound seamed to echo through Finnis' head as he quickly realized what the sound was. The others had no time to react to the event except for the remaining German soldier. The Corporal quickly grappled Finnis and Cameron by their arms, as they were about to on their own accord. The last soldier knew his fate. Finnis looked back through the hotel window, as he trained his eye on the rolling HE7 Frag Grenade. The soldier closed his eyes when the three jumped into the ditch. A massive erupting explosion, followed by a large wave of heat was felt and heard from behind the two, as it propelled them through the air. Glass was heard shattering. All of a sudden, another, this time more high-pitched, screech was let out from the general area of the explosion. The three lay disoriented, bruised, and Cameron quickly recovered, rolling over alarmingly to check on Finnis and ensure his safety. Cameron screamed from his hoarse lungs "Are you alright?". "Keep it down!" hissed the Corporal, who was regaining his senses and stumbling to his knees. Finnis slowly rolled over, staring into his brother who looming over him on his hands and knees.

Cameron began to speak as sudden plasma scorching noises and screams were heard rapidly approaching them. A very large single-rotor, whale-like aircraft hummed through the hair, drifting and colliding into the corners of buildings along the street, spraying similar looking energy based projectiles as the ground units upon the running victims. One pf the runners took note of the group's position and ran towards the ditch area. He slid across the glass littered ground, gritting his teeth as glass tore through his brown leather jacket and into his back. Finnis managed to get a quick look at his face, during his run. "Holy shit, Gerrard?!" The man ignored the pain, and as soon as he slid into the ditch, he took a defensive position, aiming his MP7 at the aircraft and firing at it. Gun-fire began to streak from buildings along both sides of the street. In return, the helicopter-like ship began to locate and fire back with extreme precision. IT almost looked like an extremely well armored creature of some sort. A missile propelled from one of the left apartment rooms into the beast, as it bellowed a mechanical cry of pain or damage. Hot energy sizzled and scorched the ground in front of them, as the aircraft located their position. A second missile smoked through the air of the alternative apartment, hitting the aircraft's propeller, making it fly off and start to spin to the ground. The creature bellowed and screeched all the way to the ground, as the propeller embedded itself into the asphalt road a quarter-mile down the street. The ground shook violently when the creature collided with the road and slid into the side of a weak apartment building to the right of Cameron and Reaper.


	5. Chapter 5: Biochanics

**Chapter 5: Biochanics**

The ground was charred and blackened from the intense heat, irradiating from the rubble of the crashed aircraft. A couple of people in the street began to cough lightly, clearing the heavy smoke and dust from their lungs and nose, as distorted cheers and shouts of victory were heard in the apartments, but slowly lowered as everyone had started to notice what happened. Everyone stared in sadness and regret at the crashed aircraft, as their eyes laid upon the German Corporal who was crushed underneath the weight of the heavy best. Finnis was the last to see this. He vaulted over the ditch, sliding on the asphalt and trying to pull up the giant circular part of it. "Help... me!" pleaded Finnis. Gerrard and Cameron quickly did the same as Finnis had just done moments ago, starting to put all their weight into lifting the heavy 'fin'. After minutes of heaving and sweating, unable to lift it, they gave up. The corporal breathed heavily, trying to say something. "He- He's alive!" shouted Finnis, who knelt before the dieing soldier. After several hopeful and silent seconds, the soldier began to speak. "I have no idea what these things are..." He struggled, but continued, "But do whatever it takes to keep us free" The soldier stared into Finnis' direction, as the boy saw the life drain out of his eyes, his soul released. Cameron closed his eyes, looking down and shaking his head from seeing Finnis' hope broken face.

The cool breeze whipped upon their faces, as the victory seemed to have been worthless. They had achieved a small victory in exchange for a good man's life. Every man, woman, and child made no sound during the sad and grim moment. An engine could be heard from down the right side of the road as the soldiers in the balcony snapped out of the sadness and raised their weapons, aiming dow the road at the approaching vehicles. Cameron, Finnis, and Gerrard flinched at the sound of more mechanical noises, being the vehicles coming down the road and slowly enlarging towards them. They were jeeps. Their engines roared, as the soldiers who had positioned themselves on the rooftops, turned and ran back inside to greet them at the lower level. Finally, the jeeps, one Canadian and two American, distinctive by their flags and symbols, rolled up on the road in front of the ditch. The passenger's bulky desert camo door unlatched and popped open, along with the two back doors. Three man stepped out almost simultaneously. The one on the driver's side was visibly a Canadian soldier who was armed with a M4A1 assault rifle. The other two were only visible from through the small windows of the jeep on the other side. They began to move in two directions, rounding the jeep on both sides. The man who was in the passenger seat was also a Canadian soldier, along with the other soldier who rounded with him. He wore a shiny silver revolver on his hip, and a green beret. The man wore no Kevlar or armor. He looked about the street, putting his hand in his other hand behind his back. Finnis peeked over the ditch, looking over the three men and ducking back down. "Hey!" shouted one of the soldiers, pointing at the ditch. "Hey, come back!"

Finnis peeked his head over the ditch one more time, looking at the soldiers. The one with the revolver seemed to be the high-ranking one, in fact, Finnis recognized him. "General!" shouted Finnis, vaulting over the ditch edge, and onto the asphalt, and walking towards the General. Finnis saluted him crisply and brought down his arm. The General did the same. "Colonel, we need you with us." He continued "Do you know where Captain Grounder is?" Finnis turned his head, back at the ditch. "Cameron!" Cameron popped his head up, laying his eyes over the general and jumping up. Cameron approached the General, giving a light salute. "General." The general saluted back quickly. "At ease, Captain." Cameron was about to speak when he was interrupted by Gerrard's voice. "Where the hell are you g-" Gerrard stopped speaking when he saw the General's face. "Holy shit." chimed Gerrard, stepping up onto the ditch edge and pushing himself up. "Seems like quick the reunion. I never thought you guys would stay in touch. Welcome, Major." "Sir." Said Gerrard, at attention. "You gentlemen need to come with us." Said the general. Finnis and Cameorn hesitated, as Gerrard hopping into one of the back seats. Gerrard looked at Finnis and Cameron. "Come on guys!" Finnis looked at Cameron, and Cameron looked at Finnis. They both climbed into the jeep slowly, noticing the kevlar-covered man standing infront of the three of them on a heavy metal box, the rest of his body outside of the jeep on the mounted gun.

The jeep kicked off, driving down the road, and swerving with control to avoid the crashed enemy aircraft. "So, Gerrard." Started Finnis, looking at Gerrard. Gerrard turned his head and looked at Finnis, waiting for him to continue. "Did you look for us, or were you just stopped by in the neighborhood?" Finnis finally took note of Gerrard's heavy Kevlar. He was wearing tan-colored desert camouflage with multiple pouches along with a nine-millimeter side-arm on his leg. He rested his sub-machine gun on his lap. "I was shipped from Canada to do some minor surveillance." Gerrard lowered his head and sighed. "Nobody saw this coming."

Finnis nodded his head sadly, turning his head back to the mud spattered jeep window and resting his jaw on the frame. Cameron had turned and noticed the patch on Gerrard's shoulder. He mouthed the words "Four-twenty seventh". Gerrard noticed Cam's glare from the corner of his eye. "So that's why you disappeared huh?" Cameron looked up from Gerrard's shoulder patch to his face and continued bluntly. "Spec Ops." Gerrard looked blankly back at Cameron. Finnis took note of this, and glanced up at the General in the passenger seat. The General seemed to have full knowledge of what was going on, but kept to himself. Finnis pondered to himself upon noticing that. Gerrard's head wilted forward, sadness in his eyes. "I was handpicked from the three of us." he stated. Finnis perked his ears up at Gerrard's statement. "You didn't even tell us!" Finnis yelled, swinging his head around from the window to face Gerrard. The three sat silent, as Gerrard was deep in thought. Several minutes later the general spoke up. "It wasn't his choice." Cameron and Finnis slowly tilted their heads up to him. "I hand picked him and sent him off to the training facility the day that you got promoted to Colonel, Finnis." Finnis sat with a look of unbelief in his eyes, staring at the general. "So." He began, still looking at the general. "You lied to us then." He paused. The general frowned and tried to start talking but Finnis interrupted, raising his voice. "You told us he was M.I.A in Afghanistan!" Finnis stopped, his mouth open and fists clenched, looking into the general's eyes. "I did what was best for you boys." "You lied!" Snapped Cameron. Gerrard could see the frustration in the General's eyes. The man turned back around and faced the dashboard.

Nobody expected what was about to happen next. A high pitch squeal emitted from the high heavens. Blinding light shone through the driver's window as the glass burst and shattered, scattering inside the front of the jeep. The three boys in the back seats raised their arms in attempt to shield themselves from the blast. The squeal lowered to almost a deep horn, as the jeep shook violently and the noise of earth splitting began. The driver looked either dead or unconscious, and the general had gone missing some time during the brief catastrophe. Finally, a massive and brief impact shattered and cracked the asphalt around and under the vehicle. Cameron had propelled himself out the back passenger's door. Finnis looked around in a rush, disoriented and confused, noticing that Gerrard has disappeared. The soldier mounted on the center turret, was leaning over the gun rotary, blood flowing down the back of his Kevlar and impaled by a large chunk of concrete and rebar. The jeep lurched suddenly to the left, leaning and scraping against the concrete that was slowly opening beneath the vehicle. Finnis reacted fast, leaping to the far side of the jeep, that was now facing upwards. He looked back and behind him. The ground had opened up beneath the jeep, and the vehicle was slowly sinking, with him in it. Finnis reached for another grip point at the top of the seat. The jeep tilted fully, suspending itself on the edges of the now stable edges by only two wheels and the chasis cover. The soldier in the turret slipped out of the mount and collided with the door below Finnis' feet. The handle turned and the door opened as the already deceased soldier fell into the endless new cavern that had opened beneath them. Finnis pulled himself up, and over the edge of the jeep heaving, and finally giving a good push with his feet to launch himself out of the vehicle. At that moment, the jeep lost it's support and fell into the cavern after the dead soldier. Finnis looked around in horrifying awe as buildings he once knew as a younger teenager had collapsed and been destroyed by the shock wave. Finnis stumbled around, looking for his friends and his brother. "Cameron!" Finnis screamed at the top of his lungs. His voice was raspy and hoarse. The sudden sound of metal stressing from above him sounded. He swung his head up to see what was happening as a colossal piece of shiny black metal came at him top speed. He fainted.


	6. Chapter 6: Civil Structure

**Chapter 6: Civil Structure**

The train brakes made an irritating screach when it stopped. Finnis groggilly opened his eyes, looking around the train and seeing two other caucasian males and a black woman, all with the same uniform; a blue knit long-sleeved shirt and jeans with brown industrial shoes. He sat up in the chair, looking down at his legs and noticing he was wearing the same uniform. The train was at a complete stop, and the doors to it slowly automatically opened. He noticed a suitcase beside his feet. Finnis grabbed the suitcase by the handle and stood up, walking towards the exit. When he stepped on the border of the train door opening, he quickly observed his environment. The very large room looked as to be a train station. On the opposite side of the train that he stepped off of, was another train on seperate tracks. "Hey buddy, we need to go places too, so hurry it up!" Shouted one of the men in uniform at the back of train, holding onto the metal train support bar, suitcase in other hand. Finnis took a deep breath and stepped off the train, walking forward and setting his suitcase on the ground. An odd looking white and black armor colored soldier approached him, as Finnis was tieing his shoes. He looked up to stare at the soldier's white gloss mask. The soldier carried a long black baton of sorts that appeared to emitt electric current when activated, as Finnis soon witnessed when he heard a burst of electric current make a click from the soldier's baton.

"Citizen." The soldier started, looking down on Finnis. The soldier had a odd voice manipulation device. It sounded deep and robotic. He was covered with kevlar, and had a nine-millimetre pistol on his hip. The soldier had a white as snow, polished plastic mask with black lenses and a gas mask module. "Go and apply at the service desk." Finnis looked down at his untied shoes and back at the officer, replying. "But I'm tieing my shoes." The officer quickly smashed the baton into Finnis' arm, causing him to collapse onto his side and hold his arm in pain. "Get to the service desk and apply." The soldier stated again, walking off. Finnis painfully collected the suitcase and stood up. He began to walk where the long single-file line of citizens stood, with three soldiers identical to the last stood and overlooked the crowd. "I can see you already got the zap stick." Said a male in a blue uniform, aproaching Finnis' side. They both began to walk towards the desk. Finnis frowned and rubbed his shoulder. "Yeah, it wasn't too pleasant." He paused and then continued. "Who the hell are these guys anyways?" The man looked at Finnis. "They're called the 'Civil Protection', or 'Civil Combine Authority'." Stated the man. "Also, just a bit of advice, keep your voice down, because they hate it when we talk or call them by their real name." He added quickly. "It's a pain in the ass, but just call them 'Officers'." Finnis nodded in thanks to the man. "Anyways, I already signed in yesturday, so I might see you around the plaza." Finnis looked at him and smiled, replying quickly. "Thanks, I'll keep an eye out." Finnis reached the service desk, and the man walked back up to him quickly and started to speak. "By the way, I'm Austin Forza." The man extended an arm towards Finnis, and they shook hands. "Finnis Grounder." Austin nodded, pretending to tip a hat, as he backed up away and then turned around, walking off.

Finnis waited in line for almost thirty minutes, as the other citizens took their time. He finally reached the front of the line. Before he could speak, the Civil Protection officer looked him over and started speaking. "Citizen, apply for city residence." The officer pointed to the thin metal tag that was clipped to Finnis' uniform. He looked down and mumbled the words, realizing what the officer meant. "Oh-Seven-Seven-Six-Eight-Five." The officer nodded, scribbling down a couple notes on the paper in front of him. Finnis took this moment to observe the officer. He wore a arm band that read ' .OfC.951'. The officer's lower waist was covered by a black skirt, unlike the others. Finnis made the assumption that 'OfC' stood for Officer, most likely a higher rank than the others. The officer finished jotting down his notes and said with a neutral voice, still deep and robotic like the other. "Move along." Finnis nodded and turned right, walking down the stairs that exited the train station, and onto the side walk. He looked left and right for cars, and proceded across, seeing that no cars were currently running. Finnis followed the road to his left until he reached what must have been the plaza. There were a multitude of shops and buildings with signs written in cyrillic on both sides of him. Straight ahead of him was a massive building that rose into the sky, obscurred by the clouds. Right in front of the building was a gate surrounded grate platform that looked like a sewer drain of sorts. Above the grate was a looming piece of machinery that hung from an attachment of the large building. The machinery had many television screens and other communication devices, mostly for listening and watching.

Finnis finally noticed the audio loop that had been playing since he had exited the train. The voice was of a female. "Welcome, Citizens, to City Seventeen Industrial Sector. My name is Doctor Couteau, and I am your City Administrator. We provide moderate wages and safe living environments in the Industrial area. Please enjoy your stay." The message was on loop, clearly. Finnis spun his head around the plaza, looking for the source and finally laid eyes on the monitor. It emitted a blue light, and displayed a feminine figure, dressed in a brown coat, with a yellow and black tie. Finnis saw the screen reset as the loop finished and started again. He walked further into the plaza, admiring the shiny tile road and clean suits. Several officers were patroling the side walks. Finnis looked up and saw several branching catwalks, and one that swerved around the communication tower like a square. He thought of Gerrard and Cameron. Finnis pondered one where they possibly could be, and how they got away. Maybe they were together? He kept the thought inside of his pre-occupied mind, continuing to stride along the sidewalks, due to force of habbit. Heading to the left, Finnis passed by three officers in front of the massive building, who looked completely busy and occupied. To the left of Finnis was the 'Cafe Baltic'. A citizen had strolled inside of the building and came back out moments later with a jug of what looked to be milk. Finnis stepped up the stairway until he was on level with the cafe. To his right was a odd looking dispenser type machine. He continued on, down the more narrow path. He eventually reached an intersection. The area had a heavy blast door, covering what looked to be a tunnel with a sign above, labled 'Shell Beach' The other building looked to be apartments.

Finnis kept his stride, as he look to his left and noticed a skinny alley way, with some sort of energy sustained barrier at the end. His eyes locked onto the barrier, interested, and carried on. He batted a pebble on the road with his foot, kicking it along down the street. Two officers could be seen at the end of the street, turning the corner towards him. They moved with a steady pace. The one on the right looked standard issue. The other had black and red kevlar, his mask black and lenses red. The red officer had what seemed to be a chain or necklace made entirely of human fingers around his neck. His uniform was spattered with blood. He shuddered at the sight of the horrifying figure. Finnis glanced at the red officer's armband, which was able to capture in his mind. The armband read ' .02.991'. The two officer's approached him with their stun sticks both on and set to high voltage. "This is the one." Said the officer that Finnis decided to label as 'Judge'. The other officer stepped forward, looking closer at Finnis. "Citizen, apply." He was at first confused at what the officer wanted him to do, but slowly realized after looking down at his own Citizen ID. "Gerrard, Stiltson, Oh-Seven-Seven-Six-Eight-Five." The white-masked officer looked back at Judge, received a nod, and turned back to Finnis. He raised the baton high above his head, and smashed him over the head unexpectedly with a heavy force. Finnis blacked out.


End file.
